


Felicity Versus the Anomalies

by McFreeky



Series: Chuckin' Arrows [3]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-11
Updated: 2014-06-11
Packaged: 2018-02-04 06:39:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1769356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/McFreeky/pseuds/McFreeky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The people around her were acting odd, and Felicity wanted to know why.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Felicity Versus the Anomalies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some answers only bring more questions.

It was early afternoon when Felicity noticed Oliver walking into Tech World. He saw her watching him and smiled. It wasn’t true though. It was too bright and full, and, even as the skin around his eyes wrinkled as they should, his bright blue eyes didn’t reflect it. He always fought the true, unexpected smiles, but he could never hide how his eyes shined with amusement.

In the month since he first came into her store, she had gotten better at reading him. She was by no means an expert. It was still hard to discern exactly what he was thinking at times, and he was way too good at making neutral expressions. But Felicity still could see small little tells, like how his jaw tensed and his eyebrows pinched closer together ever so slightly or how the corners of his lips flicked and his brow lifted in surprise. She called the first one his angry face and the second his unsuspectingly-tickled face.

She was spending way too much time in her head because Oliver was already leaning on her counter. He looked expectant, ready for a kiss. Felicity rolled her eyes but obliged by closing the distance and giving him a peck on his lips.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Just wanted to see you. Ask you if you’re free tonight.”

That meant he needed her to access the hard drive. He was actually getting predictable now. He would come by every couple of days, looking for information. Sometimes they would go out on a “date” before to keep their story straight.

Honestly, Felicity didn’t mind the fake dates as much as she thought she would. Oliver was decent company even if half of the stuff he told her about himself and his work were lies. And she was being generous by saying only half of it was complete bull-pucky. She just wished this connection they shared was something real and not out of necessity.

Still, what they were doing was obviously important to Oliver, and Felicity felt good about herself as she helped him remove bad people in Starling. So, she was willing to put up with the less than appealing sides of the arrangement.

At least she got to kiss him on an almost daily basis. Felicity would never complain about that.

“Felicity?”

She snapped back to the present. “Sorry. Got lost for a second there.”

He got his unsuspectingly-amused face. “You free later?” he tried again.

Before she could answer, Daily slid to his side.

“She’s not. I get Fels tonight.”

Oliver looked at Felicity, and she nodded.

“We do have plans. Although I don’t like being claimed like I’m…” She trailed off, struggling for a comparison.

“Livestock?” Oliver offered.

“I was gonna say a piece of land,” Daily added.

“Whatever,” Felicity interrupted before they could compare her to more objects. She checked the clock over the employee-only doors. “I will be free for lunch in an hour if you want to come back,” she offered. The information he needed from the drive couldn’t wait another day.

“I’ll take you up on that.” He leaned way over the countered and kissed her on the cheek. “See you in a bit.”

Oliver walked back to the exit, more than likely to get the drive before he came back. Felicity tried to return to work but felt like someone was still watching her. She turned to see her best friend still standing there.

“What?”

She shrugged, but Felicity could tell something was on her mind.

“Noooo. I know that look. What is it, Day?”

Before she could answer though, Scott shouted, “D-Rod. Tom’s looking for you.”

“Be there in a sec, Cotorra.” Daily turned back to her and pointed a finger. “Remember, we’re hanging out tonight. Don’t be making plans with Mr. Tall and Muscly.”

She spun on her heel and walked toward the store manager’s office.

“Don’t think we’re done with this convo!” Felicity yelled after her.

An hour later, Oliver was back, and she walked out with him to his car.

“Where do you want to eat?” he asked her.

“Wait. We’re actually going to get lunch? I thought I was just going to access the drive for you.”

“Doesn’t mean you have to skip a meal. So, what are you feeling?”

She tapped her finger on her chin as she thought. “Big Belly Burger?”

He smirked. “I thought you wanted to stop going there because it was giving you a big belly.”

“Which is why I got a gym membership. I refuse to gain the relationship fat when I’m not in a real relationship.”

She noticed his eyebrow quirk.

“You know… The five to fifteen pounds you gain because you start eating at nice restaurants at the beginning of a relationship.” She rubbed her stomach. “I was starting to put it on.”

“I’ve never had that problem,” Oliver said as he slid into his car.

“Of course not,” she said as she joined him. She poked his shoulder, feeling the hard muscle underneath his shirt. “You look like you spend all your time in the gym. Do you have an ounce of fat on you?”

He didn’t answer, but he did have to fight a smile. Felicity took that as answer enough.

“So, who am I looking for today?”

“Nelson Ravich. He’s an accountant for the mob.”

“So you’ll want bank accounts, known associates, layout of his home.”

He didn’t answer, but she caught him glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

“What?” she asked.

“You’re getting good at this.”

“I’d hope so. It’s been long enough. I didn’t get into MIT at seventeen because I’m pretty. Not saying that I think I’m pretty. I’m not a supermodel. I’m not saying I’m ugly either. I got hit on enough at Tech World by Colton when I first started, though he hits on anything with two legs and breasts so that’s not saying much. Then there’s the teenagers that come in and watch me. That was creepy at first, but you get used to it. They’re too scared to do anything anyway, and, if they did, I would make sure that their parents know about everything in their private files.” She paused. “Where was I going with that?”

“I’m not sure, but you started with how you didn’t get into MIT at seventeen because you’re pretty.”

Felicity’s face heated with embarrassment. “Right. I meant that I’m smart enough to catch on to what you need. Didn’t mean to slip into rambling about how mediocre my appearance is.”

“You are brilliant, Felicity,” Oliver answered without hesitation. “And you’re also beautiful.”

She felt her blush intensify for an entirely different reason. “You’re just saying that so I will access the drive for you. Keeping me on the hook.”

“Normally, yes. It is a coercion tactic. But not with you. You chose to help. You’re here because you want to be, even after all the outs I gave you. My life would be much simpler if you just gave me the encryption key so I didn’t need to come to you every time I want information.”

“I thought you would have realized by not that you’re not getting rid of me.”

She noticed the corners of his mouth twitch upward again. “And I wouldn’t want to.”

Okay, now she was confused. “Wait. What? For the last month, you’ve been trying to get me to leave. Now you’re saying that’s all changed? That you want me here?”

Oliver nodded.

“Explain please,” Felicity commanded when he didn’t continue.

“This really isn’t the time.”

“Fine,” she said as she crossed her arms. “Then good luck accessing the hard drive without me.”

“Felicity.”

“No, Oliver. If you’re going to be a stubborn mule, I’ll be one too.”

He pulled the car into a parking spot at Big Belly and turned to her. “I need that intel.”

She didn’t budge. “Then you better give me an answer.”

“Felicity,” he tried again.

“Oliver.”

They were at a stalemate, one she was determined win. He had given her excuse after excuse for why she shouldn’t know some basic information, and she was sick of it.

Oliver opened and closed his mouth multiple times, but no words ever left. He eventually huffed in indignation which quickly turned into a defeated expression.

"Because I need you," he relented. "Enough?"

Felicity shook her head. "You only needed me for the key before, and you've even stopped asking for that. So try again."

He didn't answer, choosing to stare out the window shield.

"You're running out of time. I only have an ho-"

"I'm alone," Oliver interrupted. He turned back to her, his eyes sharp and clear. "The day before I met you, my partner betrayed the group we worked for. She wanted the computer, and she turned on a lot of people to get it."

They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of his honesty filling the air. Felicity eventually asked, "Why didn’t you take the computer back to your group?”

“Because I don’t trust them. I thought my partner was one of the most dedicated individuals to the cause, and look what she did. So, until I know who I can trust, I’m keeping the drive to myself. But I need your help to do anything with it. I know that now.”

She didn’t know how to respond to that. They were no doubt the most sincere words he ever spoke to her, which made the imaginable occur: Felicity was speechless.

The state didn’t last long, however. Dots connected, light bulbs lit, pictures focused, and the words were out of her mouth before she could decide if she wanted to speak them.

“Sara was your partner, wasn’t she?”

Oliver let out an amused huff. “Sometimes I wish you weren’t so smart. Yes, she was.”

With that one answer, a million new questions formed like “Sara is a spy?” and “How long did you two work together?” and “How many missions did you two go on?” and “SARA IS A SPY?!” But Felicity didn’t ask those questions. By the look on his face, she knew she wouldn’t get anywhere with them. She could be patient. It was difficult for her, but it was possible.

“Come on,” she told him instead, bumping his shoulder with hers for good measure. “I’m hungry, and we have to plan how we’re going to bring down a mob accountant.”

That earned her a chuckled. She took that as a win.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! But I come with this... I don't know what it is about this chapter, but I'm not the happiest with it. I may go back through one I finish and change it around. I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless.


End file.
